New Jersey proposed new rules that would help the state protect its residents against natural disasters.
According to OCNJ Daily, the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection announced an update to its land-use regulations on Aug. 5 to help communities improve their resilience to extreme weather events, chronic flooding, and sea-level rise.
New Jersey is the first state to propose modern regulations to protect against changing weather patterns.
The proposed updates are under the Resilient Environments and Landscapes part of the New Jersey Protecting Against Climate Threats regulatory reforms Gov. Phil Murphy implemented in 2020 through Executive Order 100.
Some of the proposed rules include creating an "inundation risk zone," in which new or renovated buildings would be required to account for the increased flood risk in these areas. The program also aims to improve water quality by upgrading stormwater management practices.
The regulations are in a 90-day public comment period, allowing residents to give their input during three public meetings in September.
According to USA Today, New Jersey has four counties that rank in the top 10 places in the United States for risk of flooding.
Between 1980 and 2024, New Jersey experienced 71 weather disasters, each totaling more than $1 billion in losses. These included four floods, 30 severe storm events, 12 tropical cyclones, and others, per National Centers for Environmental Information data.
Storms can be catastrophic for communities all over, as was the case in Chile in 2023, when 30,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes because of downpours and flooding. Eight hundred homes were damaged during the weather event.
Updating regulations to make homes more resilient is important as storms get more extreme. You can use your voice by writing to representatives to get your local regulations updated and by voting for candidates who will take climate action.
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